


Numerology for Fun and Profit!

by TrekFaerie



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Age Difference, Cecil is Inhuman, M/M, Older Man/Younger Man, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 16:50:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrekFaerie/pseuds/TrekFaerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every year is perfect. Even if there are about thirty between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Numerology for Fun and Profit!

“Cecil, we need to talk.”

Most people, upon hearing those words, would feel some kind of foreboding about the upcoming conversation. But, Cecil wasn’t most people—if he could even really be defined as a “people.” They were in Cecil’s apartment, having a date night of old static-filled video tapes of strange symbols and Tuvan throat singing (which, Cecil assured him, was approved by the City Council as a suitably romantic movie), but Cecil’s eyes—all three of them—were fixated, as they always were, on Carlos. Thusly occupied, he only replied, “Sure.”

“I mean it, Cecil. This is really important.”

“Is it about science?”

“No, it’s—Why do you automatically assume that everything I talk about must be about science? I talk about other things, you know?”

“Carlos, Carlos, Carlos.” Cecil was speaking in that tone he always used when Carlos did something silly like insist that mountains were real (they clearly weren’t, and Edmund Hillary was a noted coke fiend) or that Elvis was dead (no, he worked cash register at Albertsons every Tuesday and Thursday). “You’re a scientist. Everything you do is science. But, please, do continue.”

Carlos sighed. “Well… How do you feel about… age?”

Cecil shrugged. “I feel about 26, most days,” he said. “But, I’m never quite sure about that 7th year. I still think I may have dreamt that one.”

“No, I mean… How do you feel about _my_ age?”

“Your age is perfect, just like the rest of you.” He paused. “I don’t actually know it, but I’m sure it’s just perfect.”

Carlos took a deep breath. “… I turn 53 next month.”

There was a long pause, but Cecil’s expression never budged from its usual state of “complete enamorment.”

“Fifty-three!” he said after a while, emphasizing each number. “Why, you’re old enough to be my brood-parent!”

“What?”

“What?”

“… Never mind, it’s nothing.” He worried his lower lip with his teeth. “Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Of course! Like Old Woman Josie always says, ‘Age is only a number.’”

“Yeah, right. You say that, but everyone still calls her _Old Woman_ Josie.”

“Well, that’s her name. It’s on her birth certificate.”

“But—Agh!” He ran a hand through his hair—that was usually enough to make Cecil understand he wasn’t kidding around. “I’m serious, Cecil. I mean, if you have a problem with it, with _this_ …”

Cecil had one of his rare serious moments, the kind when all three eyes focused intently on Carlos and he held his hands like some kind of romantic hero. “Carlos,” he said, “I could never have a problem with anything about you, because everything about you is perfect. Especially your incredibly graceful slide into middle-age.”

He threw Carlos’ hands back at him, clapped his own, and beamed.

“Besides, the most important thing about your statement is that your birthday is next month!” he said. “I’ll get Dana started on the official paperwork first thing in the morning! It’s not every day the most perfect scientist in the world turns 53, you know!”

Carlos sighed, leaned back on the couch, and stared at the opaque shapes floating on the television screen. He didn’t even know why he’d thought that his age would be a problem for Cecil. _Nothing_ was a problem for Cecil.

(Well, except for Steve Carlsberg. He guessed that Steve probably wasn’t going to be invited to the party.)

**Author's Note:**

> I adore the idea of Carlos being considerably older than Cecil.
> 
> I have a Thing. A May/December Thing. (lbr most of the time it's january/december but who's counting i'm not
> 
> it's 5AM shuuuuuuush)


End file.
